andrews



(No Model.)

W. D. ANDREWS.

MEANS FOR USING COMPRESSED AIR FOR RAISING WATER. No. 600,703. PatentedMar. 15,1898.

Ilnrrnn STATES P TENT FFICE.

WILLIAM D. ANDREWS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MARY AUGUSTAANDREWS, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR USING COMPRESSED AIR FOR RAISING WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,703, dated Mar h1898- Application filed October 13, 1896. Serial No. 608,769. (Nomodel.)

earth water, oil, or other liquids through tubes or other conduits sunkinto water-bearing, oil-bearing, or other liquid-bearing strata. It isalso applicable to raising water or other liquid from lakes, ponds, orother collections and for dredging.

The invention is based upon the well-known principle that if compressedair or other aeri-v form fluid be forced down through a tube into a bodyof water and its pressure be sufficiently in excess of the pressure dueto the head of water above the lower end of the said tube the pressureand impetus of the said air or fluid will carry it to such a distancevertically be low the bottom of the said tube that it reaches a depthwherethe static pressure of the head of water is equal to that of thesaid air or fluid, which then rises and carries upward with it thecompact body of water above it to. a suitable point of discharge.

In making application of the above-mentioned method of raising liquidsby compressed air it is desirable to provide for the injection of thecompressed air into the water or other liquid at different depths belowthe surface of the latter or below the mouth of the well or of the headof the tube or conduit through which the water or liquid is to beraised.

The object of this invention is to provide for the introduction of theair into the water or liquid at such different depths and itsintroduction otherwise in such manner as to be most effective.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of awater-raising apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan viewcorresponding with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section in theline 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: represents a central vertical section of awell-tube and a portion of the appliances which constitute my invention,illustrating a slight modification of what is shown in Fig. 1.

A designates a tube, (hereinafter referred to as the F well-tube,) whichmay be the lining tube or casing of a tube-well or a tube inserted to asuitable depth in an ordinary open well or other source of or receptaclefor the liquid to be raised. Within this tube A there are inclosedseveral small tubes B B B B (herefornl fluid received from thecompressor (not shown) through the main horizontal air-supply pipe O.The connections between the said supply-pipe and the severaldistributing-tubes is made by branch pipes E E E E one for each tube, inwhich are suitable bends, the

connections between the said distributingtubes and branch pipes beingmade in the head of the well-tube, as will be hereinafter described.

The air-tubes, of which there may be any 7 5 number, but of which fourare represented, are of different lengths for the purpose ofdistributing the air into the water in the tube A at varying depths andunder different pressures, which may be regulated in each by independenthand-valves F F F F in their several branch pipes, according to theindications of pressuregages G G G G in the respective branch pipes.

To the lower ends of the several air-tubes are attached deflecting orspreading deliveryshoes I) b b b, projecting laterally from oppositesides of their respective tubes in the form of segments of circles, (seeFig. 3,) the outer surfaces of which coincide with the in- Q nercircumferences of the well-tube with which they are in contact or inclose proximity. These deflecting-shoes, one of which is shown insection in Fig. 1, are hollow, and

each has a narrow horizontal slit-like air-dis- 5 charge opening 0extending the entire'length of its inner face, the area of such openingsomewhat exceeding that of its connected tube. These openings arepreferably sligthly wider at their ends than at their centers toequalize the escape of air throughout their entire length. Below theiropenings 0 the inner faces of said shoes are sloped downward to sharpedges that they may present the least possible obstruction to the waterrising in the well-tube.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the air-tubes are represented as arranged opposite eachother in pairs or couples, those of one couple being midway betweenthose of the other couple, the two of each couple being of the samelength and having their delivery-shoes at the same level, the said shoesbeing each of a horizontal length a little less than the innercircumference of the well-tube A.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the airtubes are of differentlengths and their deflecting-shoes at different depths, whicharrangement secures a larger area of clear passageway through thewell-tube than when two of the deflecting-shoes discharge 011 the sameplane directly opposite each other. In practice for small or shallowwells one couple of tubes on the same horizontal plane may besufficiently effective; but in very deep and large wells additionaltubes, either in couples or single, of varying lengths may be used togood advantage with a decreased pressure and increased volume of air.When a plurality of air-tubes have their lower termini at differentdepths, a separate hand-valve and pressure-gage will be required foreach airtube, but air-tubes discharging at the same depthwill onlyrequireasin glehandvalve and pressure-gage.

The well-tube A is fitted at its upper end with a head A, provided withan air-tight cap A through which the air-tubes B B B B are connectedwith their respective branch pipes E E E E From the tube-head A there isa lateral outlet, with which is connected by a bend and a valve-box II adelivery-pipe A which is practically a continuation of the well-tube,constituting an upward extension of the said tube, through and fromwhich the discharged liquid may be conveyed in any direction and to anydesired height. In the valve-box H there is anupwardly-openterfly-valve. trance of the air-tubes into the well-tubethrough an air-tight cap and the lateral delivery of the water belowsaid cap and through the self-acting valve secures the followingeffects:

First. Upon the stoppage of the air-pressure eitheraccidentally orbydesign the automatic closing of the valve I retains thewater above itand prevents any downfiow into and through the well-tube A, therebyobviating the disturbance and consequent raising of earthly materialfrom a well when again starting the water column, which resultsunfavorably when clear or potable water is desired. Such an arrangementis very effective and convenient, besides effecting a saving of time andpower. The confining of the air-tubes to a straight vertical portion ofthe well-tube or well casing A has several advantages.

Among them are: the air-distributing tubes and the well-tubes areconsiderably shortened, lightened, and made more easily accessible, itbeing only necessary to place their upper ends and their supportingcap-plate g above the normal surface of the water to be raised forconvenience of access, and the liquid may be discharged at anyreasonable height above the point of air-delivery into the well tube orcasing A. The delivery-pipe or upward extension A of the well-tube Aabove the free-acting butterfly-valve may be extended to any requiredheight or distance without disturbing either the air-tubes, thewell-tube A, the connecting-bends, or the butterfly-valve, through allof which free passage is secured for the liquid from the lower verticaltube or wel1-casing A to the required point of delivery above the valve.

Secondly. If it be required to open the vertical well-tube A for changeor repairs of the inclosed air-tubes B B B" E the opening of a smallair-cock 6, provided in the tube-head A, admits a graduated quantity ofair into the well-tube, which insures the subsidence of the water in thetube, but with such limited velocity as not to disturb the earth aboutthe lower end of the well-tube. If it be desired to remove the liquid inthe tube above the self-acting valve I, the opening of an escape-cock d,provided on the valve-box I-I just above the valve-seat, affords a readymeans of so doing without disturbing any connections or parts of theapparatus.

By reason of the fact that a certain proportionate depth of water aboveand below the points of entrance of air into the water column isnecessary to produce economical results and secure the greatest amountof water in a given time in wells where the distance to the water fromthe surface and the depth of water in the well are such that the depthrequired for the best head of the delivery are not readily obtainable I,for the purpose of increasing the total depth of the water, at-

tach to the delivery-pipe A an adequate ading self-acting valve I,represented as a but- 1 The arrangement for the en ditional length ofpipe to secure the required depth, thereby carrying the delivery-pipe toa height that shall insure suificient depth of water in the coinbin edwell and delivery pipes to insure the best results. As the discharge maybe above the otherwise necessary point of delivery required for usingthe liquid so raised, a loss of power results, to compensate for which Imake the discharge-pipe a siphon with its outer descending leg of anydesired length. Thus when once the siphon is filled and a deliveryestablished it continues to balance and relieve the extra head at thecost only of once filling the descending portion of the siphon so longas the elevator is in continuous action. To retain the fullbenefit ofthe siphon when stopping the pneumatic pressure, I may attach aquick-closing hand-valve to the lower open end ofthe siphon-tube,closing it while the liquid is in-full motion, relieving temporarily theincreased pressure by means of a safety-valve J, attached to the mainair-supply tube 0, as shown, or at any convenient point of theair-passage until the pressure can be shut off.

I have hereinbefore mentioned that the connections between the air-tubesB B B B and the branch pipes of the main air-supply pipe are through thecap A on the head A of the well-tube. These connections are illustratedin Fig. 1 and will now be explained. \Vithin the head A, not far belowthe cap A there is an annular shoulder f, on which rests a plate g, inwhich there are holes for the passage of. the airtubes, which areconnected with their respective branches of the air-supply tube betweenthe said plate and the cap by means of screw-couplings IL. The saidholes in the plate 9 are large enough for the passage through them ofthe ordinary couplings 6 of the several lengths of tubing of which eachof the air-tubes is composed, but the couplings h are made so muchlarger than the holes in the plate that they form shoulders which bearon the plate 9 around the holes and so serve as supports from whichtheair-tubes are suspended. Thebranch pipes are screwed into and throughtapped holes in the capplate A as well as into the couplings h, whichare of such length or depth that the said plate, while it is madeair-tight with the head A, also bears upon gaskets applied around thetops of the couplings, and so makes an airtight joint around each of thebranch airpipes. On disconnecting the branch air-pipes E E E E from thecap-plate and removing the latter the plate 9 may be taken hold of by aring-bolt (not shown) and hoisted up to take all the air-tubes with itfrom the well.

This apparatus is applicable with great advantage in dredging operationsin which sand, gravel, and other solid matters have to be raised, for itinsures a rapid downfiow to loosen the earthy material to be removed.

What I claim as my invention is l. The combination with a well-tube andan air-tube inserted thereinto in proximity to the walls thereof fordischarging compressed air in to the water therein, of a delivery-shoeattached to the said air-tube projecting laterally therefrom around thewalls of the welltube and having an approximately horizontal slit-likedischarge-opening below which it is sloped downward toward the saidwalls, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination with a well-tube and an air-tube for dischargingcompressed air into the water therein, of a spreading delivery-shoeattached to the said air-tube, located in proximity to the inner wall ofthe well-tube, conforming to and closed toward said wall and having itsdelivery-opening toward the center of the well-tube, substantially asherein described.

3. The combination with a well-tube having a head fitted with aremovable air-tight cap, of a plurality of air-tubes arranged within thewell-tube for discharging compressed air into the water therein'and aremovable plate supported on a shoulder within said head for suspendingthe several air-tubes from the said head in such manner that they mayall be withdrawn simultaneously from the well-tube, substantially asherein described.

4. The combination with a well-tube having a head fitted with aremovable air-tight cap and a plurality of air-tubes located within thewell-tube for discharging compressed air into the water therein, of anair-supply pipe having branch pipes for the several tubes enteringthrough openings in the said cap, a removable plate supported on ashoulder within the said head, and couplings connecting the

